The present disclosure relates to broadband push-to-talk (PTT) configuration portal. Secure broadband PTT enables instant, real-time communication anywhere that a broadband communications link is available at any of many different types of fixed or mobile devices, including but not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.
Broadband PTT systems may operate according to an industry standard protocol such as, for example, an open media alliance (OMA) push to talk (PTT) over cellular (OMA-PoC) standard, a voice over IP (VoIP) standard, or a PTT over IP (PoIP) standard, among other standardized or propriety protocols. Other types of PTT models and multimedia call models (MMCMs) are also available.
Typically, protocols such as PoC, VoIP, and PoIP are implemented over broadband RANs including third generation and fourth generation networks such as third generation partnership project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, although such protocols may alternatively or additionally operate over wired communications links with fixed computing/communications devices.
Broadband PTT systems thus enable familiar PTT and “instant on” features of traditional half duplex land mobile radio (LMR) devices, but uses mobile devices operating over more modern and higher-speed broadband telecommunications links. Accordingly, wireless mobile devices such as mobile telephones and notebook computers, using PoC, can function as PTT half-duplex mobile devices for transmitting and receiving audio and other media (such as video and text messages). Each mobile device that is a member of and configured to operate on the PTT system may be a group communications device that is normally maintained in a monitor only mode, and which switches to a transmit-only mode (for half-duplex devices) or transmit and receive mode (for full-duplex devices) upon depression or activation of a corresponding PTT input switch (e.g., a hard or soft switch). This group communications architecture allows a single one of the mobile devices to communicate with one or more group members, such as 20 other group members, associated with a particular group of mobile devices at a same time.
Floor control in a broadband PTT session such as OMA-PoC is generally maintained by a PTT server that controls communications between two or more of the mobile devices. When a user of one of the mobile devices keys a PTT button, a request for permission to speak in the OMA-PoC session is transmitted from the user's mobile device to the PTT server using, for example, a real-time transport protocol (RTP) message. If no other users are currently speaking in the PoC session, an acceptance message is transmitted back to the user's mobile device and the user can then speak into a microphone of the device. Using standard compression/decompression (codec) techniques, the user's voice is digitized and transmitted using discrete auditory data packets (e.g., together which form an auditory data stream over time), such as according to RTP and internet protocols (IP), to the PTT server. The PTT server then transmits the auditory data packets to other users of the PoC session (e.g., to other mobile devices in the group of mobile devices or talkgroup to which the user is subscribed), using for example, one or more of a unicast, point to multipoint, or broadcast communication technique.
Traditional on-premises deployments of broadband PTT systems require deployment, configuration, and monitoring/maintenance expertise to be deployed at each physical enterprise deployment location, preventing centralized maintenance and monitoring of system performance. It can therefore become expensive and difficult to deploy, service, and maintain such broadband PTT systems across geographically diverse locations. This becomes even more difficult and time consuming when the broadband PTT system is integrated with an LMR system.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for deploying a cloud-based broadband PTT configuration portal that allows a user anywhere in the world to deploy, configure, and monitor a hybrid broadband PTT and LMR integrated radio system and automatically and correspondingly configure broadband PTT and LMR radio system configurations so as to reduce configuration errors.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.